Sanitary drinking-cup.



A. P. WILLOUGHBY. SANITARY DRINKING CUP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1914.

Patented Mar. 30,1915

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

'A. P. WILLOUGHBY. SANITARY DRINKING 0UP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13,1914.

Patented M31130, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- (June Mica Add arrow unirsn STATES PATENT onrioii.

ALFORD PERVIS WILLOUGHBY, OF OLNEY, TEXAS.

SANITARY DRINKING-CUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30. 1915.

To all w/mm it n/ (l l/ conc'ern Be it known that I, AL -onn I\VmLoL'omsY, a -citizen of the United States, residing at Olney, in thecounty of Young and State of Texas, have invented a new and usefulSanitary Drinking-Cup; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an improved sanitary drinking cup.

An object of the invention is to provide a sanitary drinking cupdesigned to be constructed of paratlin 0 oth or paper, or of leather,rubber or any other suitable material.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a drinking cup thatmay be collapsed into a fiat form, whereby a quantity or a great numberof cups may be piled one upon the other.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a frame V-shapedin contour having a coil and provided with spring arms connected to thecup upon opposite side's where the cup is creased when folded, so thatthe user by pressing the spring arms together may distend the sides ofthe cup when it .is necessary to fill the same for drinking purposes;This above structure of cup including theifframe is provided for thepurpose of overcoming fthedisadvantage of the cup collapsing whiledrinking, as is usually the case with paraffin cups that telescope oneanother and are vended from the usual vending machine.

Another feature of the invention is th provision of spring membersincased in the material of the cup about the peripheral edge of the sameto hold the cup flat, and which may be pressed from opposite sides toopen the cup.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitatealterations, falling Within the scope .of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, ashereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure I is a view showing a series of cups, one piledupon the other. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of oneof the cups, showing the cup distended, and illustrating how the handgrasps the frame for pressing the spring ar'ms together. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail view of the skeleton frame. Fig. l'is a detailperspective view of another form of frame. showing the cup in dottedlines. Fig. 5 is a view of another form of frame, showing the cup indotted lines. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of another form ofdrinking cup showing the V-shaped spring arms eliminated. Fig. 7 is adetail view of the steel spring stiffening members of the peripheraledge of the cup shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the parts 15and 16.

Referring more lmrticularly to the drawings, especially Figs. 1, 2, 3, land 5,.l designates a V-shaped wire frame, the wire material of which iscoiled upon itself to form the spring coil 3, with the side arms l ofthe frame projecting from the coil. These spring arms l tend to springout wardly, so as to hold the cups collapsed, and the upper end of eachside spring arm is turned into a pair of eyes 5 and G, the eyes 5receiving link connections 7, which in turn connect to the adjacent endsof the spring stiffening members 8, which are in cased in the materialof the cup adjacent the peripheral edge thereof, as shown at 9. Thelower apex of the cup, (which is sub stantially V-shaped or triangularas shown) is attached at 11 to the coil. The eyes 6 in Figs. 1,2 and 3are turned or arranged above the eyes 5, but in Figs. 4 and 5 the eyes 6are turned downwardly or below the eyes In Fig. 4, said links areomitted, and thin wire stiffening members of a springy nature areconnected directly to the eyes 5. In Fig. 5 are' omitted not-only thelinks, but also the stiffening members of the periph eral edge of thecup. Furthermore, the eyes 6 are turned downwardly iii-Fig. 5, and theperipheral portion of the cup is attached at 13 to the eyes 5.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the V-shaped wire frame is omitted, and the springblade stiffening members of the peripheral edge of the cup have theirends connected by links 14, each of which has two eyes 15 and 1G. Eitherone of the eyes 16 may be used as means for hanging the cup upon a nailor the like. The eyes 6 in the other views may be used for suspending acup from a hook. As shown in the drawings, the coil 3 is utilized toreceive one of the fingers of the hand, at

the time the spring arms are pressed toward each other.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. A drinking cup comprising a normally collapsed receptacle, a frametherefor constructed from a single length of Wire, rolled upon itselfsubstantially midway of its length forming a coil, side spring armsprojecting at angles from each other from the coil and provided witheyes at their outer ends, connections between one of the eyes of eacharmand the cup, the other eye of each arm acting as a cup suspendingmeans.

2. A sanitary drinking cup comprising a receptacle, a frame thereforhaving side spring arms and a coil at its lower portion, said armshaving eyes at their upper ends to receive cup attaching means, andconnections between the lower end of the receptacle and the coil.

3. A sanitary drinking cup comprising a receptacle, a frame thereforhaving side spring arms and a coil at its lower portion, said armshaying eyes at their upper ends, stiffening members-inuntl e peripheraledges of said cup, connecting means between the stiffening members andsaid eyes, and connections between the lower end of the receptacle andthe coil.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFORD PERVIS WILLOUGHBY.

Witnesses:

R. T. KERR, H. G. NICHOLSON.

